Attachable sleigh-runner.



J. E. HOBBS.

ATTAGHABLE SLEIG RUNNER.

APPLICATION HLBD Dnc. zo, 1905. RENBWHD'MAY ze, 190s.

901,342.I Patented oet.2o,1908.

1H: NoRRls PErERs 60 wAsHmarol, n c.

lIOHN EDWARD HOBBS, OF NORTH BERWIOK, MAINE.

ATTACHABLE SLEIGH-RUNNER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 20, 1908.

Application filed December 20, 1905, Serial No. 292,619. Renewed May 29, 1908. Serial No. 435,800.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it know that I, JOHN E. I-Ios, a citizen of the United States, residing at North Berwick, in the county of York and State of Maine, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Attachable Sleigh- Runners, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in sleigh runners, and more particularly relates to runners adapted .for use in substitution for the wheels upon carriages, wagons, etc.

The present invention is primarily designed as a simplified embodiment of constructions hitherto patented by me, and the object sought to be accomplished is to enable the runners to track the same width as the wheels for which they are substituted, or wider than the wheels track. To this end the invention contemplates a runner so constructed as to have a predetermined width of track, when a set of the same is assembled upon a vehicle, but at the same time enable the runners being used upon spindles of different lengths.

Many styles of pleasure carriages, as broughams and coups, have, shorter forward axles than the rear ones-in some cases twelve inches shorter, and it is quite essential that the forward runners on such carriages be made to track wider than the wheels in order to have both pairs of runners make the same width track, and the present invention is designed to attain this end.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel form of connecting rod for coupling together the runners of a pair thus maintaining the latter in fixed relation and preventing the same swerving, whereby the axles of the vehicle are freed from strain, and liability of fracture thereof is reduced to a minimum.

With the foregoing general objects in view, and others which will appear as the nature of the improvements is better understood, the invention consists substantially in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings-Figure 1 is a perspective view of a sleigh runner constructed in accordance with the present invention, the herein-described connecting rod being attached thereto. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the runner hub. Fig. 3 is a .similar view of the connecting rod through the coupling thereof.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the

numeral. 1 designates the runner proper to which is connected a shoe 2 in the usual manner, and mounted upon the runner 1 and extending upwardly therefrom is a truss 3. The latter comprises a pair of outer members 4 the lower ends of which are bolted to the runner proper 1, as at 5, and a pair of inner members G riveted to the outer members, the lower ends of said inner members being bent towards each other and bolted "to the runner 1, as at 7.

At a point adjacent the upper ends of the vmembers 4 and 6 is arranged a fastening clip `8, whereby said members are eifectually held together, and the extremities of said meme bers are bent outwardly at slightly vacute angles to the bodies thereof. By reason of this construction the upper ends of the members 4 and 6 lie in a plane slightly inclined to the horizontal and project at a point beyond the edge of the runner 1, and the lower ends of the trusses are thus given a strut or outward flare when assembled on the axles of a carriage, in order to afford a broad base for the body. This throws the runner proper outside of the line of the `wagon body, and overcomes liability of the body to tilt, as would be the case were the runners to track beneath the body.

4Arranged between the curved upper ends of the members 4 and 6 is a supporting iron v 9 upon which a hub 10 rests. This iron is preferably the same length as the hub and the bands thereof hereinafter referred to, and the iron 9 is held between the curved upper ends of the members of the truss through the medium of bolts 11, thus insuring a xed and rigid connection between the supporting iron and the truss, It will also be noted that the hub 10 is provided with a groove or recess 12, said groove or recess being of a width sufficient to receive the combined thicknesses of the supporting iron 9 andthe curved upper ends of the truss members. The iron 9 is also provided at its ends with inner and outer hub bands 13 and 14, respectively. Each of the hub bands 13 and 14 comprises two members, one of which 15 covers substantially three-fourths of the circumference of the hub, while the other member, 16, covers the remaining one-fourth, and the ends of the members l5 and 16 are provided with perforated ears or projections 17 and 18, the ears 17 fitting upon the ends of the iron 9, while the ears 1S extend at substantially right angles to the plane of the ears 17 for a purpose to be presently stated. Passing through the ears 17 and the iron 9 are bolts 19, whereby said ears are securely held upon the supporting iron 9, and the hub 10 in turn held in fixed relation upon said iron and the upper curved ends of the members of the truss.

The numeral 20 designates a cap arm, the lower end of which is bolted or otherwise secured to the forward end of the runner 1, while the rear end of said cap arm 2() iits between the ears 18 of the inner hub band and is secured therein through the medium of bolts 21. Thus it will be seen that the cap arm is held in rigid position and the inner end of the hub 10 prevented working upon the supporting iron 9. A tic arm 22 is also bolted to the cap arm 20, the lower end of the tie arm 22 being bolted to the runner 1, but the upper end of the tie armis bent outwardly from the cap arm 2O and its rear end is arranged between the ears 1S of the outer hub band, in which position the same is bolted, as at 23.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the inner hub band projects slightly beyond the vertical plane of the upper end of the truss 3, and by reason of this construction, the runner is designed to track the same width as the wheels of the vehicle for which the runner is substituted. It frequently occurs, however, that the spindles of the axles of the same style of vehicles will vary in length, and to compensate for this it is desirable that the inner end of the hub 10 shall vproject slightly beyond the inner hub band, preferably one inch, when sold to the trade. Vhen, therefore, a spindle shorter than the usual length is encountered this projecting end is cut off and thereafter the collar of the spindle may be let into the wood of the hub without weakening the latter'.

As before premised the present invention has in view the provision of a novel form of connecting rod, whereby the runners of a pair may be coupled together, and thus maintain the runners in fixed relation so as to prevent the same swerving. To this end a U-shaped fastening clip 24 is bolted to the cap arm 20, the free ends of said clip being slightly twisted to bring the sides of the clip at right angles with the plane of the runner 1, and which clip has a fastening bolt 25 fitted therein, and to this fastening clip is attached one end of the herein-described connecting rod 26. By reason of the twisted ends ofthe clip 24 the connecting rod 2G may have perfectly free action ras the runiers rock on the axle. The connecting rod 26 comprises two sections 27 the outer ends of which are slightly twisted and perforated, as at 28, for receiving the bolt 25 of the clip 24e. The contiguous ends of the sections 27 are arranged in lapped relation, and fastened to one of the sections 27 is a pair of parallel spaced plates 29 between which the other section fits. Passing through the plates 29, at a pointadjacent to their free edges is a plurality of clamping bolts 30,

and it will thus be seen that by tightening the nuts of the bolts 30 the plates 29 will be drawn together, thereby clamping the free end of the section 27 inserted therebetween, and thus locking the two sections in fixed relation. By loosening the nuts of the bolts 30 it is apparent that the sections 27 may be adjusted in relation to each other, and accordingly the length of the connecting bar may be varied tocorrespond with the width at which it is desired to hold the runners of the pair apart. By twisting the ends of the connecting rod the edge of the latter is presented to the snow when passing therethrough. By reversing the position of the bent ends of the members 4 and 6 of the truss with relation to the hub, the runner can be made to track considerably widerfrom eight to ten inchesthan the wheel tracks, thus when applied to the short front axles of some styles of pleasure carriages, as broughams and coupes, the front runners will be caused to track the same width as the rear runners.

If desired, the extremities of the bent upper ends of the members of the truss 3 may be prolonged so as to embrace the ears 17 of the outer hub band, in' which event the bolt which secures said ears to the supporting iron 9 would also pass through the prolonged extremities of the members of the truss.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is-

1. A sleigh runner of the class described, comprising a runner proper, a truss carried thereby and extending upwardly therefrom, a supporting iron carried by said truss, a hub mounted upon said truss and said supporting iron and provided with a groove for the reception of said truss and supporting iron, and means for holding the hub upon the truss and the supporting iron.

2. AA sleigh runner of the class described, comprising a runner proper, a truss carried thereby and extending upwardly therefrom, said truss having its upper end bent outwardly at slightly acute angles to its body portion, a supporting iron carried by the bent upper end of the truss, a hub mounted upon said truss and said supporting iron and provided with a groove for the reception of said truss and supporting iron, and means for holding the hub upon the truss and the supporting iron.

3. A sleigh runner of the class described, comprising a runner proper, a truss carried thereby and extending upwardly therefrom, said truss com prising oppositely-arranged members the upper ends of which are bent outwardly at slightly acute angles to the body of the truss, a supporting iron arranged between the bent upper ends of the members of the truss, a hub mounted upon said truss and said supporting iron and provided with a groove for the reception of said truss and supporting iron, and means for holding the hub upon the truss and supporting iron.

4. A sleigh ruimer of the class described, comprising a runner proper, a truss carried thereby and extending upwardly therefrom, a supporting iron carried by said truss, a hub mounted upon said truss and said supporting iron and provided with a groove for the reception of said truss and supporting iron, and bands surrounding the ends of the hub and connected to the supporting 'iron for holding the hub upon the latter and the truss.

5. A sleigh runner of the class described, comprising a runner proper, a truss carried thereby and extending upwardly therefrom, said truss having its upper end bent outwardly at slightly acute angles to its body portion, a supporting iron carried by the bent upper end of the truss, a hub mounted upon said truss and said supporting iron and provided with a groove for the reception of said truss and supporting iron, and bands surrounding the ends of the hub and connected to the supporting iron for holding the hub upon the latter and the truss.

6. A sleigh runner of the class described, comprising a runner proper, a truss carried thereby and extending upwardly therefrom, said truss comprising oppositely-arranged members the upper ends of which are bent outwardly at slightly acute angles to the body of lthe truss, a supporting iron arranged between the bent upper ends of the members of the truss, a hub mounted upon said truss and said supporting iron and provided with a groove for the reception of said truss and supporting iron, and bands surrounding the ends of the hub and connected to the supporting iron for holding the hub upon the latter and the truss.

7. A sleigh runner of the class described, comprising a runner proper, a truss carried thereby and extending upwardly therefrom, said truss comprising oppositely-arranged members the upper ends of which are bent outwardly at slightly acute angles to the body of the truss, a supporting iron arranged between the bent upper ends of the members of the truss, a hub mounted upon said truss and said supporting iron and provided with a groove for the reception of said truss and supporting iron, bands surrounding the ends of the hub and connected to the supporting iron for holding the hub upon the latter and the truss, a cap arm connected to the runner proper and the band at the inner end of the hub, and a tie arm connected to the cap arm and the band at the outer end of the hub.

8. The combination with a pair of sleigh runners, of a sectional coupling rod connected to said runners, a pair of plates connected to one section of said rod and embracing the other section, and means for regulating the relative positions of said plates, whereby the latter are caused to hold the sections in adjusted position.

9. The combination with a pair of sleigh runners, of a sectional coupling rod connected to said runners, a pair of plates connected to one section of said rod and embracing the other section, and bolts carried by said plates for regulating the relative positions thereof, whereby the plates are caused to hold the sections in adjusted position.

l0. The combination with a pair of sleigh runners, and fastening clips carried thereby, the free endsof said clips being partially twisted, of a sectional coupling rod the ends of which are twisted and connected to the twisted ends of the fastening clips, and means carried by one section of said rod and embracing the other to clamp the sections together.

11. A connecting rod for coupling together a pair of sleigh runners, comprising a pair of sections arranged in superimposed relation, a pair of plates connected to one section of said rod and embracing the other section7 and means for regulating the relative positions of said plates, whereby the latter are caused to hold the .sections in adjusted position.

12. A connecting rod for coupling together a pair of sleigh runners, comprising a pair of sections arranged in superimposed relation, a pair of plates connected to one section of said rod and embracing the other section, and bolts carried by said plates for regulating the relative positionsV thereof, whereby the plates are caused to hold the sections in adjusted position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN EDWARD HOBBS. Witnesses:

ELIZABETH K. Horns, CYRUs T. PARKER. 

